BOOK V. CHAP. XVI.	295
properly a playhouse, any residue of true feeling for regular and
perfect works of art must shortly disappear.
Melina ridiculed, in terms more plain than delicate, our
friend's pedantic notions in this matter, and his vain attempts to
form the public mind, instead of being formed by it* Seiio and
he at last agreed, with full conviction, that the sole concern was
how to gather money, and grow rich, or live a joyous life; and
they scarcely concealed their wish to be delivered from those per-
sons who at present hindered them. Melina took occasion to
lament Aurelia's weak health, and the speedy end which it threat-
ened ; thinking all the while directly the reverse. Seiio affected
to regret that Wilhelm could not sing; thus signifying that his
presence was by no means indispensable. Melina then came
forward with a whole catalogue of savings, which, he said, might
be effected; and Serlo saw in him his brother-in-law replaced
threefold. Both of them felt well that secrecy was necessary in
the matter; but this mutual obligation only joined them closer
in their interests. They failed not to converse together privately,
on everything that happened; to blame whatever Wilhelm or
Aurelia undertook; and to elaborate their own project, and pre-
pare it more and more for execution.
Silent as they both might be about their plan, little as their
words betrayed them, in their conduct they were not so politic as
constantly to hide their purposes. Melina now opposed our friend
in many points that lay within the province of the latter; and
Serlo, who had never acted smoothly to his sister, seemed to grow
more bitter, the more her sickness deepened, the more her pas-
sionate and variable humours would have needed toleration.
About this period, they took up the Emilie Galotti of Lessing.
The parts were very happily distributed and filled; within the
narrow circle of this tragedy, the company found room for show-
ing all the complex riches of their acting. Serlo in the character
of Marinelli was altogether in his place; Odoardo was very well
exhibited; Madam Melina played the Mother with considerable
skill; Elmira gained distinction as Emilie; Laertes made a stately
Appiani; and Wilhelm had bestowed the study of some months
upon the Prince's part. On this occasion, both internally and
with Aurelia and Serlo, he had often come upon this question :
What is the distinction between a noble and a well-bred manner;
and how far must the former be included in the latter, though the
latter is not in the former ?